City NGO launches course in basic rural technology

With an aim to generate employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for rural students,a residential diploma in basic rural technology was recently launched by city-based voluntary organisation Astitva Pratishthan.

With an aim to generate employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for rural students,a residential diploma in basic rural technology was recently launched by city-based voluntary organisation Astitva Pratishthan.

The one-year course is meant for students who have appeared for the class X examinations. The syllabus covers details about animal husbandry,agriculture and poultry and includes material,energy and environment with a rural perspective. Health and home management is also a part of this course, said Geetanjali Degaonkar,president of Astitva Pratishthan.

The course will train a batch of 40 students. It is specially designed for marathi-speaking students and has marathi as a medium of instruction. The course is affiliated to the National Institute of Open Schooling,Delhi. Being a residential course,the fees is Rs 12,000,including lodging.

Astitva Pratishthan also runs Sakhar Shala (bridge schools) meant for children of sugarcane harvesting labourers,who are dropouts because they migrate from Marathwada region during the annual harvest season. We also hope to help these students through this one-year diploma course, Degaonkar said.

The classes will be held at the organisations rural technology centre in Veer village of Purandar taluka,around 50 kilometres from Pune. It is funded by Honeywell Automation India Limited of Pune,with the land donated by Tukaram Wagh,a resident of Veer village.

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